$19,719 to People in Prison for ADA Violations

Plaintiffs Hickman, Barber, Newman and Lane were wheelchair-bound prisoners at the Western Missouri Correctional Center where they were denied proper medical treatment and accommodations for their disabilities. In July 1994, they filed suit in federal court against the prison and Department of Corrections pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act. In March 1999, the court found in their favor and entered a judgment awarding them $19,719. In a related case, the 8th Circuit court of appeals vacated and dismissed the judgment of the same court granting declaratory relief because all the plaintiffs had been released on parole.